Automatic target



Apri] 1932- H.-JOHANNSEN 1,853,979

AUTOMATIC TARGET M Filed May 25, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l .7 den/or April 12, 1932. JOHANNSEN AUTOMATIC TARGET Filed May 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Shea; 2

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A ril 12, 1932. H. JOHANNSEN AUTOMATIC TARGET Filed May 23, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Apr. 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ms I'OEANNSEN, or momsusmr, omnam AUTOMATIC TARGET Application fled Kay 28, 1931, Serial No. 539,815, and in Germany l lia'y 80, 1930.

This invention relates to a target of the kind composed of a plurality of concentric rings connected to indicating plates and adapted to deflect the latter automatically under the impact of the bullets for indicating the nature of the hit.

One object of the invention is to facilitate the movement of the rings, and the invention consists in this respect in the provision of spherical ring supports about which the rings can oscillate, the supports being concentric with the rings.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for imparting movement from the rings to the indicating plates, and in this respect the invention consists in the provision of horizontal rods which cooperate with thrust members for' deflectin the plates in their own planes.

' Means are provided for retaining the rings in operative osition and for restoring one ring automatically to its position of rest on another ring being operated.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a diagrammatic front view of the target structure-and part of the mechanism,

' Fig. 2 is a sectional side view showing partof the mechanism, I

Fig. 3 is a part view on an enlarged scale, Fig. 4 is another part view of the mecha- -nism,

- Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a modified form of part of the mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a view showing a modification of another part of the mechanism, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 6.

The target comprises a plurality of coaxial rings 4 of diflerent diameters arranged one behind another in order of size. The ring supports consist of spherical collars 2 which are threaded together with spacing members 3 on'a horizontal tube 66. If desired, collars and spacing membersmay be integral with the tube. The target support comprises vertical, parallel plates 1, 8 and 8a connected by suitable stay rods. The front plate 1 carries the tube 6?). The target rings are mounted on the collars 2 by means of bearings 4a situated in the geometrical centre as well as in the centre of gravity of the rings, and the latter will'therefore be oscillated by impact with a bullet irrespective of the position in which they are hit. The rings are normally maintained in a vertical position by horizontal rods 14 which are arranged to slide in the plates 1 and 8 and which bear against the rings under the influence of springs 24. There are four symmetrically distributed control rods for each ring, and each rod 00- 00 operates with an indicating plate 10 for indicating that it has been hit and where. The plates 10 are pivotally arranged on shafts 9 at the four corners o the square supporting frame and are deflected in their own planes. 55

Each plate is balanced by an arm 21 carrying a weight 11 and tends to remain in a concealed position within the supporting frame. The deflection of the plates may be efi'ected, as shown in Fig. 3, either by means 7 of thrust members 12'connected to the rods and provided with inclined surfaces which bear against the edges of the plates, or by means of bell cranks 26. The rearmost indicating plates are preferably operated by 15 means of angular thrust plates 25 secured to the ends of the respective rods 14. In either case the movement of a rod, caused by the impact of a bullet with the respective portion of a ring, is transmitted. to the respective plate so as to swing the latter into a laterally projecting position. Pivoted' catches 19 may be provided for engaging the deflected arms 21 and retaining the indicating plates in operative position. The catches are double-armed and controlled by acentrally mounted, spring-pressed, universal bar 16, the latter being provided with notches 20 in which the tail ends of all the catch levers engage. Each rod 14 carries an arm 15 which to co-operates with a pin 18 on' the bar 16 for operating the latter. Thus the bar .will be moved and all the catchesdeflected each time a ring is hit, and a previously engaged indicating plate 10 will therefore be released before the next plate reaches its catch and is engaged thereby. The release plate returns to its position of rest and is aided in this movement by a spring 22 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 6 shows .a modified arrangement 109 wherein the weighted arms of the plates 10a are adapted, on eing deflected, to snap behind shoulders 12a on leaf-springs 13a for retaining the plates in operative position. All the springs are connected to a rope 10 which is controlled by a spring 14a and which can be operated from the shooting stand for releasing'the plates.

- Where the shooting distance is small and allows the target to be easily seen, the retaining device may be unnecessary, the plates being merely balanced so as to return slowly to the rest osition.

The bull s eye consists of a disc or block 6 provided with a bore 6a whereby it is arranged to slide on the outer end of the tube 6?). It is connected to a rod 5 which is arranged to slide inside the tube and controlled by a spring.

The indicating late 7 for the bulls eye may, as shown in ig. 1, be connected to one arm of a bell crank which bears against the end of the rod 5 and which is deflected by the latter for turning the plate from a horizontal into an upright position.

A modified arrangement is shown in Fig. 5 where the bulls eye co-operates with a vertical indicating plate 30 which is supported by a plunger 29 arranged together with a piston 32 to move up and downin a dashpot 31, The plunger rests on a bell crank 27 which is pivoted at 28 and which bears against the end of the rod 5. On the bulls eye being hit, the impact is transmitted by the bell crank to the plunger which then makes a rapid ascending movement. The air in the dashpot forms a cushion for the piston 32 and ensures a slow return movement of the plunger and of the indicating plate. The outlet 33 through which the air escapes from the dashpot can be adjusted by means of a shutter 34 for regulating the descending movement of the plate.

The rods 14 may be carried through and guided in the plate 8a, and the springs 24: may be arranged on the outer ends of the rod and protected by a casing 9a as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this case the plate 8 may be omitted.

Since there are four indicating plates for each ring it is evident that indications will be obtained not only as regards the hitting of any particular ring but also as regards the ring portion which receives the bullet.

I claim:

1. An automatic target comprising a plurality of co-axial target rings, spherical supports for said rings allowing the latter to be oscillated about their centres, indicating means, and connection between the rings and said indicating means for operating the latter.

2. 'A target as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supports consist of spherical collars, and a rod whereon said collars are threaded.

3. An automatic target comprising a plurality of co-axial target rings, spherical supports for said rings allowing the latter to oscillate about their centres on impact with the bullets, pivoted indicating plates movable in thelr own planes, and connections between the rings and said plates for transmit-.

ting deflecting movement to the latter.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the connections between the rings and the plates comprise slidable rods arranged with one end in contact with the rings, thrust members connected to said rods and formed with inclined surfaces arranged to strike against and deflect the indicating plates on the rods being moved, means for retaining the plates in deflected position, and means for restoring them to their normal positions.

5. An automatic target comprising a horizontal tube, a plurality of spherical s aced collars on said tube, target rings of di erent diameters mounted on said collars, each ring being concentric with its supporting collar and capable of oscillating about it under impact with the bullets, horizontal, slidable, s ring-controlled rods arranged behind the rings and adapted to receive motion therefrom, indicating plates adapted to be deflected in their own planes and tending to remain in a given position, thrust members adapted to transmit motion from the rods to the plates for deflecting the latter catches adapted to retain the plates in deflected position, a universal, spring-controlled bar controlling said catches, and connections between the rods and the universal bar for moving the latter and releasing one plate before another is thrown into engagement with its catch.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the thrust members consist of hell crank levers.

' 7. The structure claimed in claim 5 in combination with a disc forming the bulls eye, a rod carrying said disc and arranged to slide in the horizontal tube, a vertically movable indicating plate, a bell crank supporting said latter indlcating plate and co-operating with the rod carrying the bulls eye disc for raising the plate on the disc being hit by a bullet, and a dashpot for retarding the descending movement of the plate.

HANS J OHANNSEN. 

